Chapter 17
Tip seventeen: the neck, the neck, the neck.
It's a very sensitive spot and I haven't found one person who doesn't like some attention there (mindful of that artery guys) and not that I've really touched many people's necks, but you know what I mean.
Kiss it, rub softly on sensitive areas, everyone likes neck kisses.
They're sexy and sweet and yeah, just focus on the neck. Give it some lovin'
Ivy
I sit at the library table, engrossed in the work I'm doing when a body plops into the seat beside me. I lift my head to smile at Asher, but the smile almost drops, when I see the face staring back at me.
"Charlie." I exclaim in surprise, glancing around the library quickly before settling back on her. "What are you doing here?"
"Can a girl not sit next to her best friend?"
I laugh, shaking my head. "You scared me, is all." I look around the library again, my eyes catching onto the body of the person who was meant to be sitting next to me.
I guess this is what happens when you plan to meet up at a public library.
Asher shakes his head subtly, flashing me a signature grin before disappearing between the stacks of books, his head held high like nothing's wrong.
Everything's wrong, I'm here talking to his sister like nothing is wrong when in reality I was meant to be meeting up with her brother for a secret rendezvous, or study session or whatever.
One day after I've invited that very same brother into my room and kissed him. Again. Again, again.
I'm the worst friend.
"Ask me why I'm smiling?" Charlie interrupts my carousel of thoughts, almost bouncing in her seat.
"Why are you smiling?" I ask the question, relaxing into my seat, trying to force a calmness I do not feel.
"Because a hot as hell surfer dude just waltzed his way up to me and asked my name."
"He asked you on a date?" I prod, leaning forward.
"No!" She says excitedly.
I blink, leaning back, "Then, why are you so excited?"
"He asked me for your name and your number."
Just then another body slips into the seat beside Charlotte, and I straighten up, widening my eyes at Ashers grin and wink he sends my way before Charlie turns over her shoulder to look at him.
"What the heck are you doing here?"
"Thought I'd peruse the library for a book for an assignment and who do I find gossiping away other than my dear sister and her friend. Hi, Ivy." His eyes settle on me over Charlies shoulder, his eyes pinning me straight to my seat and causing a flutter of nerves to take flight in my stomach.
He grins, like he knows exactly what effect he has on me, his tongue coming out to wet his bottom lip and my eyes zero in on it, a flush taking over my cheeks as I remember exactly where his mouth was last time I saw him. Where my mouth was-
I cut that thought off and clear my throat, "Hi."
"What are we talking about?" He leans forward on the table, elbows bent under him and fingers steepled together like he has all the time in the world to hear every sordid detail Charlotte, and I might ever discuss.
I narrow my eyes at his grin and so does Charlotte before she gets a matching one on her face. "I was just telling Ivy here that there's a guy who asked for her number, wants to take her on a date, isn't that sweet? To have the confidence to ask a complete stranger on a date?"
Ashers grin drops a bit. "Seems a bit weird if you ask me, he doesn't even know her."
"Are you saying that if he did, he wouldn't be asking her out?" Charlie challenges and my heart drops.
Ashers eyes widen. "No, I'm not saying that." He pins his sister with a look before looking at me, "He also approached you to approach Ivy, he didn't come to her himself. Seems pretty immature."
"Maybe he was intimidated, Ivy is gorgeous. And she's single. No ties-" she says, brow raised at her brother.
Asher rolls his own eyes at his sister.
I'm not seeing anyone. Not really.
Charlie turns back to me, grinning widely. "He's still here if you want to say yes, which I so think you should."
"Charlie," I whisper, and she widens her eyes.
"Oh, wait, you kind of have a thing-" She cuts off and looks to Asher, "Do you mind? Ivy and I have things to discuss."
"No, continue on." He leans back in his chair, arms crossed loosely in front of him, balancing on the cheap plastic. "Don't have to stop on my account."
I see the challenge light up in Charlotte's eyes. Oh no.
"Well okay then." She turns back to me, ignoring her brother entirely. "So, tell me more about this mystery man you've got all up in your business." Her smile is smug, and she doesn't turn back to look at Asher and I'm glad because his eyes are on me, eyes twinkling.
I wish a hole would open up below me and swallow me whole.
Charlotte tilts her head, studying me.
"So," she says casually, "are you going to tell me about this guy you've acquired to talk you through it?"
Oh, god.
My stomach tightens.
"I'm not-" my eyes flick from Charlotte to Asher. "Can we not-"
"Asher," Charlotte says suddenly, without looking at him but I can see her blue eyes are bright with mischief, "you don't mind, right? Girl talk."
He grins lazily and that does something to me I refuse to look into. "Please. Discuss away."
"So," she says, singsong, "this mystery guy of yours."
I stiffen. "What about him?"
She grins. "You're being weird about it."
"I'm not."
"You are," she insists. "Vague. Dodgy. All 'oh, it's nothing' when it's clearly not nothing. Tell me about him in bed-"
My mouth pops open, but Asher beats me to it.
"You know I'm still sitting right here, yeah?" he says lazily, one arm slung over the back of his chair. His eyes are bright - amused.
Charlotte turns her head slowly to look at him.
"You said you didn't mind. But don't worry," she says sweetly. "This part's for you."
I know that look. She's got something up her sleeve.
His brow lifts. "Lucky me."
No. Lucky me. It think sarcastically.
She turns back to me, lowering her voice just enough to make it feel conspiratorial - but not enough to exclude him.
"I'm just saying," she continues, "if you're doing the casual thing, you should probably make sure the guy you're seeing is actually capable of it."
My stomach tightens. "What does that mean?"
Charlotte shrugs, completely unfazed. "It means some people are built for casual."
Her eyes flick to Asher now.
"And some people," she adds pointedly, "absolutely are not."
Asher lets out a quiet laugh. "Wow. Okay. Is this my cue to be offended?"
She smiles innocently. "Why? It's true."
I glance at him.
He's still smirking - but there's something tighter about it now.
Charlotte presses on, clearly enjoying herself.
"You either don't care at all," she says, ticking it off on her fingers, "or you care way too much. No in-between. No chill. You would be horrible at the casual thing."
Asher clears his throat. Subtle. Controlled.
"Charlotte."
"What?" she says, unfazed. "You tell people this yourself."
He shifts in his seat. "That's not-"
She cuts him off. "You hate casual. You always have. It ends one way or another."
My chest feels strangely hollow.
I look at him again.
He doesn't correct her.
Doesn't deny it.
Doesn't look at me.
The silence stretches.
"Why are we talking about this?"
Charlotte shrugs. "I'm just saying. Some people can do it, and some can't and if Ivy's man-"
I cough, splutter. "I don't have a man."
Asher's chair crashes back down.
Charlotte waves me off.
"If her boy toy can't do casual then maybe she does need that surfer guys number? Options are always good to have and different strokes for different folks-"
"Are you done?" Asher says monotone.
Charlotte grins. "Why? Uncomfortable, Asher?"
"You know Leon wouldn't like her going in a date with a stranger-."
"It's not his decision." Charlotte says but I cut in.
I narrow my eyes, "Oh, I'm sure he'd like me to go out with one of his hockey mates instead, maybe Justin?"
"No." Asher grunts. "What does this fucking idiot look like anyway, if she's going to go on a date with him, he has to pass."
"Who are you, her brother?" Charlie quips, raising a brow at him. "Your . . . protectiveness is showing Asher."
His jaw clenches, "Leon is my best mate, Ivy is his sister. It's natural for me to be-"
"Brotherly?" Charlie cuts him off.
"Ivy is also your best friend, so sue me if I want to protect her like I would protect you."
"Cause I'm your sister?"
"Are you done?" Asher grunts, glaring at Charlie. "Now, where the fuck is he?"
Charlie rolls her eyes back while I keep my mouth zipped, knowing better then to get between a squabble with them.
"I'm not pointing him out to you." She focuses back on me, and Asher rolls his eyes at her back, before they come to rest on me and he smirks again, leaning back and balancing on the chair like he didn't just have a little fight with his sister and stares around the library again, looking disinterested as Charlie describes this guy.
"He had blonde hair, and it was artfully styled like he'd just come out of the ocean, but he smelt like cedarwood - you know how much I like cedarwood and he wore a navy button up and dark jeans.
He had the most piercing blue eyes ever - you know like Ian Somerhalder and his face was carved by angels. "
Asher's chair crashes back to the ground, his grunt accompanying it and Charlie pauses, looking back at him.
Ashers eyes are dark, and he looks over my shoulder as Charlie finishes describing this dream worthy guy, eyes narrowing before he gets up, gives me one more look and says a mumbled goodbye. I refrain from watching him leave, focusing on Charlie, my cheeks feeling way too hot.
"I thought he'd never leave." Charlie laughs and I grin back, but I don't feel good at all.
Charlie stops, tilting her head at me.
"You do not have a crush on my brother? do you?" Charlie asks curiously and I shake my head vehemently, wanting to cover my cheeks but I refrain.
"No." I blink, "Like he said, he's practically like a brother."
Charlie's nose turns up a bit, and she makes a face like the thought fills her with disgust, but she shakes her head. "He didn't-" Charlie cuts herself off on a sigh. "Why are you blushing then?"
"Because you said someone asked for my number?" I prompt, hoping to direct her away from the mortifying truth.
I do have a crush on her brother, and he only thinks of me as an accessory to Charlie. I must get that through my head. This is casual. Nothing else.
"Let me see if he's still here, I told him I'd speak to you before anything."
Her eyes sweep over the library but with each pass her shoulders drop, "He must've left, sorry Ivy."